Adagio Grazioso
by waddlingdodo
Summary: AU Brittana. Santana becomes enchanted by amateur harpist, Brittany.
1. Prologue

I'm folding a towel when I hear Rachel's nagging voice from down the hall.

"Santana! I hope you're not going to volunteer for bed pan patrol, coincidentally at the same time I'm scheduled to give my performance, because we both know no one likes bed pan patrol and frankly, it's a bit rude to think that you would rather check someone's p-"

"Okay!" I shouted, tossing the towel onto the pile. "If I come watch your stupid show will you promise to leave me alone for the rest of the week?"

Instantly, Rachel smiles. "Yes! Yes. You won't regret it. This week I'm performing…"

That was my cue to pick up the towels and leave the room. Naturally, Rachel followed me as I did my routine of delivering fresh towels to each hospital bed, flapping her mouth about her show for the hospital patrons and staff. She mentioned something about being accompanied by an amateur harpist this week, but I was trying desperately to finish delivering towels as fast as I could to pay attention. If I walked fast enough, maybe Rachel wouldn't be able to keep up with me.

By the time I reached the end of the hall, it seemed Rachel had reached the end of her long winded explanation.

"I suspect you'll be helping the other nurses gather the audience to the entertainment room, so I expect you all in there by 3:30 sharp!"

I rolled my eyes, "I don't decide when other people start doing their job. When the room fills up and everyone's there you can start singing whatever it is you're singing."

Rachel huffed. "I'm singing Ave Maria, Santana. Weren't you listening to my explanation of why I, a Jewish teenager, would be singing a Catholic prayer to the Virgin Mary?"

"I don't care why you're singing it, that gay guy on Modern Family sang it at a wedding and there was hardly a disclaimer for that."

She sighed and shook her head, "I won't recap the details, but to summarize, the accompanist thought that this song would be the perfect challenge for me and it'd be soothing to the patients and staff if I sing it well."

I could only shrug in reply.

"Just make sure everyone is in the entertainment room by 4!" She turned to leave the room, but stopped in the doorway. "Oh, and make sure none of the old folks fall asleep. I know my voice can be soothing and all, but it's really rude for the performer if-"

I stomped my foot in annoyance, "Would you just go already?!" She didn't bother to finish her sentence and disappeared from the doorway.

I looked at my watch. It was already 3 o' clock. Weighing out my options I decided to gather the patients early. The earlier Rachel would sing, the earlier I could go on with my day.

* * *

As soon as the clock struck 4, Rachel walked into the room with her accompanist trailing behind her. The audience of patients and staff applauded as she took her spot at the podium and made her introductory speech about her performance. I chanced a glance over the heads of the elderly, at the accompanist. She had silky blonde hair tied into a graceful braid that rested at the side of her shoulder and was dressed in a simple, flowing white dress and ballet flats. Next to her was a matching, ivory, pedal harp, standing elegantly next to her chair. It made her look much smaller in comparison.

The harpist's eyes scanned the audience and met mine. They were strikingly blue as she held my gaze from across the room. She blushed and gave me a timid wave. Embarrassed, I cleared my throat and looked down at the ground. I only looked up again when the sound of applause erupted. It was time for Rachel to sing.

She counted herself in and the harpist began plucking the opening notes to the song, Rachel following soon after. The room was filled with a beautiful tune of serenity as Rachel's melodic voice was delicately in harmony with the gently plucked notes by the harpist. As I glanced around the room, the children on the floor stared at Rachel with their big and curious eyes as she sang. The others had their eyes closed, enjoying the music to their heart's content.

I peered over the heads of the patients again to look at the harpist. Her eyes were closed as her lithe fingers plucked at the strings of the harp, her body swaying gently with the melody and changing with the tempo and dynamics. The harp's voice slowed as Rachel held the final note and together they slowly faded into silence. All eyes were opened and a gracious applause was awarded to them. Rachel offered her hand to the harpist, who took it and stood up next to her. Each of them took their skirts into their hands and curtsied for the crowd. I couldn't help but laugh, surely Rachel had planned this performance completely, even down to their bows.

When the harpist lifted her head again her eyes found mine and she gave me a warm smile. I returned it, but before I could approach her, the movement of wheelchairs and children caught my attention. As I looked around, the nurses were already moving people back to their rooms. When I looked back to the podium, the harpist had already disappeared, her harp also gone.

I searched everywhere, desperately trying to find her before she had gone for good. How far can someone go with an instrument that large? Thankfully, in a distant hallway, I spotted the harp being carried by a taller man and the harpist right beside him. I raced down the hall and called out to her. They both turned around and waited for me to catch up.

I took a moment to catch my breath. "That was a really good show back there," I offered with what I hoped was a friendly smile.

She nodded and smiled at me before the man spoke, "I'll just put this in your room, honey." She watched him wander down the hall, lugging the ivory instrument with little struggle.

When she turned around she looked up at me through her eyelashes, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth with her hands clasped behind her back. She swayed her torso back and forth as she dug the tip of her shoe into the ground.

It was clear that she was being bashful, "Are you being modest?" I asked.

She grinned, but continued to worry her lip and returned her attention to the ground.

Her shyness was getting to me and I couldn't help but find it endearing, "What's your name?"

Instead of answering, she took my wrist and led me down the hall in the same direction that the man went. I didn't ask any questions and let her lead me to a room at the end of the hall. She pointed to the clipboard hanging at the foot of the bed. I picked it up and read the name off the folder, aloud.

_Brittany Pierce_

She clapped and smiled after I read her name.

I took it as a good sign and continued. "Rachel didn't tell me you were a patient here."

She rolled her eyes and scrunched her nose. She didn't seem to like the mention of Rachel's name.

"You don't like Rachel either, do you?"

She shook her head and made a motion with her hand.

_She talks too much._

I laughed, "Yeah she does talk a lot, but she's a good singer, which is why she volunteers to sing here once in a while."

She tapped my arm and pointed to the clipboard and then to me.

_What's your name?_

"Oh! I'm Santana Lopez. I'm a volunteer here when I'm not busy with school or cheerleading."

She nodded at me, happily.

Trying to keep the one-sided conversation going I told her more about myself. "My dad works upstairs. He's a doctor. He likes me helping out here, but not after he saw me wearing that candy striper outfit."

Her eyes widened and her eyebrows rose at that.

"Yeah, he thought it was too sexy to wear at a hospital, but it's really because he doesn't want any of the patients ogling his little girl. That's why I have to wear these ugly nurse uniforms now," I scoffed.

She seemed to laugh at that, only there wasn't any sound of laughter, only the appearance of laughter. Before I could say anything there was a knock at the door. It was the man from earlier.

"Hey, honey. Your mom and I just finished strapping the ol' girl into the van, so we're gonna head out now, okay?"

She nodded and skipped over to him to give him a hug.

"You be good, Brittany. Don't cause any trouble for this pretty nurse, here."

She broke away from their hug and slapped his shoulder.

"I'm just kidding, honey. We'll be back tomorrow afternoon with your sister to come visit."

He patted her on the head and they waved goodbye. She turned her attention back to me, expecting me to say something. There was something a little off about Brittany, but I didn't want to seem insensitive by asking. I'd have to find Rachel and ask her instead.

I stalled, watching Brittany's face grow more and more expectant as seconds passed.

"Well, I won't keep you. I'm sure you want to rest after giving that performance which, by the way, was beautiful."

She blushed and nodded at the ground. I told her I'd come by later if she was awake as I slipped out of her room to find Rachel.

* * *

After asking around, I find Rachel coaxing an elderly man to go back to his room. I waited for her to finish before I approached her.

"Thanks for helping. I totally saw you watching me from around the corner," she muttered.

"You were doing such a good job, I didn't want to waste your efforts," I joked. "I have to ask you something. It's about your performance."

Her face went from irritated to euphoric in no seconds, flat.

"Before you start yammering about yourself, I came to ask about the harpist, Brittany."

Rachel's shoulders slumped, deflated. "What do you want to know about her?"

I paused, trying to word this in the most delicate and indirect way I knew how. "What is she here for?"

She scanned my face for my hidden motives before answering, "She's here for a physical, because of her condition she needs to be admitted to the hospital to ensure all her needs are met."

I played with my fingers nervously before asking, "What is her…condition?"

Rachel sighed, "Gosh, Santana, why can't you ever be direct with what you want? You want to know what's wrong with her then just ask."

"Alright, don't start lecturing me. What's her condition?"

She gave me a look of disbelief as if I couldn't already tell what was different.

"She's mute, Santana. Always has been and, from what it looks like, always will be."

When I didn't say anything in reply, Rachel saw it as her cue to leave.

* * *

Later that night, I took one last stroll down the halls before heading home. I couldn't help but notice that Brittany's light was on, her door wide open.

I peered inside and found Brittany sitting upright on her bed, a book splayed open on her lap. I knocked on the door frame to get her attention and she practically jumped off the bed to greet me.

"Hey, I just came to check on you like I promised and it looked like you were still awake."

She smiled and took my hand into hers, running her thumb gently over my knuckles. When I didn't move from the doorway she looked at me. She seemed to sense that something was different.

_You know now, don't you?_

I let out a sigh and took a few steps into her room, closing the door behind me.

"Look, when I first met you, I had no idea about your condition. I didn't think anything was different until you laughed."

She nodded and gave a sad smile, engrossed with pressing her fingers into the grooves of my knuckles.

_Are you going to leave me now?_

"I'm not going to leave you. I want to get to know you better…if, you'd let me."

She looked up at me and smiled, squeezing my hand as she led me further into the room. She climbed up onto the bed and shifted over, patting the empty space next to her. Hesitantly, I climbed up after her and took my designated spot beside her.

She placed the book, from earlier, in my lap. I read the title aloud, "The Little Mermaid".

Brittany nodded enthusiastically and opened the book to the first page. I shook my head and laughed at her innocent request as I began reading the fairytale out loud to her. To her delight, I did the voices of all the characters, with Brittany clapping and silently laughing in response. As I read to her, she leaned closer and closer to me, eventually laying her head on my shoulder as she settled in. Without even thinking, I moved my arm to pull her in closer, her head resting more comfortably on my chest.

As I read the final words of the story I looked down at her. Her eyes were closed, like she was listening to something. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open and her hand moved to my throat. She tapped lightly at the area where my trachea disappeared beneath my collarbone.

_I like your voice._

"Do you like fairytales?" I asked, in a hushed whisper, suddenly self-conscious about my voice.

She removed her hand from my neck and tapped the picture at the end of the book.

_I like them because they always have happy endings._

I traced the calligraphic words with my thumb, beneath the picture. "If only happy endings always happened in real life, huh?"

She took my hand into hers and intertwined our fingers together.

_They can if you want them to._

I smiled and looked down at our interlocked fingers, my mind wandering to distant visions of white dresses and children running around a thick green lawn in the front yard of a big house.

Brittany shifted from her spot on the bed and sat upright, bringing her free hand up to my cheek and running her thumb across it. For a long moment, her eyes never left mine until she tapped the picture on the previous page with her index finger, tugging my hand with it. I broke our gaze to glance down at the picture. The picture showed the prince finally kissing the mermaid at their wedding.

Her thumb moved slowly from my cheek to my lips, running over them and tracing every dip and groove.

_I want to kiss you._

I looked at her, hoping to confirm what I thought she was asking. She gave me one last nod before closing her eyes and waiting. I brought my hand up to hers and took it into mine before leaning in. I kissed her gently, not wanting to scare her with how badly I had wanted to kiss her, but also wanting to show her that I wanted this as much as she did. When her lips pushed back against mine, I held my breath.

After a few moments we broke apart, breathing slightly heavier than before. Her cheeks and the tips of her ears were tinted a light pink and I could only imagine my face being just as flushed. She smiled sheepishly and gave my hands a squeeze.

_Wow._

"Yeah, I'm a good kisser. You're not so bad yourself," I joked.

She laughed and freed her hands to wrap me in a hug. I put my arms around her shoulders and squeezed her back.

_Stay with me tonight?_

I nodded wordlessly and settled back into the pillows, Brittany still clinging to me with her face buried in the crook of my neck. I stroked her hair, letting it run through my fingers and started singing a lullaby for her. She smiled into my neck and gave me a squeeze, urging me to continue.

It wasn't until I was sure she was asleep that I reluctantly pried myself from her embrace and let myself out of her room.

* * *

That night I dreamed of Brittany.

Everything was pitch dark, like the dead of night, but I kept walking towards something: a sound.

Slowly, the sound became clearer.

It was a voice.

It was Brittany's voice.

_Santana, come find me._

I called out to the darkness, _"Where are you, Brittany?"_

_I'm right here._

I felt blooming warmth in my chest.

_I was so lonely without you._

I placed my hand over my heart, my fingers pressing against the skin and feeling my heart beat quicken.

"_You're not alone anymore, Britt. I'm here with you."_

_I waited so long for someone to hear my voice. I'm glad it was you._

Tears formed at my eyes, for reasons I wasn't aware of.

A light pierced through the darkness above and enveloped me in its warmth. It was like being kissed by the sun rays and being hugged by familiar warmth all at once.

_Santana, will you do something for me?_

I closed my eyes, basking in Brittany's sunshine, "_Anything."_

_Will you sing with me?_

I opened my eyes to the blinding light.

Slowly the darkness molded into the shape of my bedroom, brightly lit with morning sunshine.

I bolted upright, remembering the contents of my dream and stumbled out of bed. I got dressed hastily, left the house and hopped into my car, not even caring that it was still early in the morning.

I drove mindlessly to the hospital and dashed passed the reception desk towards Brittany's room. Stopping to catch my breath, I knocked on her door and waited for an answer.

Surprisingly, she answered the door without a trace of sleep in her eyes.

I breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh good, you're awake!"

She smiled nervously and nodded.

"I know. You must be mad after I show up here so early, especially after I left you last night, but I was wond-"

She placed her finger on my lips and to silence me. She shook her head and gave me a quick peck on my nose.

_I'm not mad, it's okay._

I flushed a little at my assumption of her feelings. Clearing my throat, I continued, "Anyways, I was wondering if you wanted to do me a favour next week?"

She waited for me to continue.

"Will you sing with me?"

* * *

I stood nervously, watching the patients, staff, and guests file into the room. My legs were frozen in place, but my hands were anxiously wringing my fingers in anticipation. I sensed Brittany behind me as she took my worried hands into her own and gave me an incredulous look.

_Why are you so nervous?_

"I have reason to be nervous, I-I've never sang for anyone before," I stammered. "You perform all the time, you obviously don't get stage fright."

She pouted and tugged at my pinky with her own.

_Of course I do, but you shouldn't be nervous. I'm here with you._

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Brittany gave me a triumphant nod before kissing me on the cheek and taking her seat next to her harp.

Silence settled into the room as I tapped the microphone to test it.

I took another deep breath and glanced around the room. Brittany's parents were there with her little sister. Her dad brought a camcorder and her mom gave me two thumbs up for reassurance. Rachel was at the edge of the audience, beaming with pride. She motioned for me to smile as I addressed the audience.

"Hi, everyone, this week Brittany and I will be performing for you," My eyes flitted to Brittany to find her smiling back at me.

"This song is called, 'A Whole New World'."


	2. Overture

**Due to popular demand, this is now being continued as a series! Enjoy!**

* * *

Santana yawns loudly from the reception desk. It's a relatively slow day at the hospital, meaning there's nothing to do, but restock supplies, fill out forms, and answer questions from the visitors. She decides if she isn't going to be doing anything that requires actual thinking, then she should check her email.

She only gets to the first non-junk email when a man clears his throat at the counter, "Excuse me, I'm here for an appointme-"

"Fill these papers out. When you're done leave the clipboard on the counter." Santana hands him a clipboard without even looking up, engrossed in an email about upcoming concerts in town.

He eyes the pen, dangling from its security string on the clipboard, before responding. "Actually, I already have an appointment. It's with the neurologist, Dr. Kleiner?"

"Name?"

"Uh, Daniel Pierce, but it's actually for my daughter, Brittany, Brittany Pierce."

Santana's eyes snap up to look at him. He has a friendly smile on his face. "Hi there, we haven't officially met, but I see you've met my daughter."

Santana stares speechlessly at him before jumping to her feet, offering her hand. A wonderful first impression to the father of a girl you've lain in bed with.

"I'm sorry, I'm Santana Lopez. It's just been a crazy boring day, so I'm half asleep."

He shakes her hand before waving her off, "Don't worry about it, sometimes I'd like to sneak in a nap at work, myself."

"I'll see if Dr. Kleiner is ready for you," she tells him while typing and clicking away at the computer, too busy to notice that Brittany had appeared and Daniel had wandered off to the bathroom. "Dr. Kleiner should be ready for you in-Brittany!"

Brittany smiles and waves at her, enthusiastically. Santana stands up abruptly to greet her, sending the rolling chair sailing into the legs of another nurse behind her. Blissfully unaware, Santana rounds the counter to give Brittany a big hug. "How have you been?" She asks, "I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch after...well."

Brittany blushes and nods at the memory of their late night bonding.

"And I'm the idiot that forgot to ask for your number, even after we performed together." Santana mutters, bringing her palm to her forehead at her own forgetfulness. Brittany places a hand on her shoulder and squeezes it, reassuringly.

_It's okay, I don't mind._

She fishes into her pocket and flashes Santana her phone.

"Oh! Yeah, gimme one sec, I'll grab my phone."

As Santana rounds the counter again, she receives a glare from the other nurse. She ignores it and begins shuffling papers around to find her phone. Of course, out of all the places to put her phone, she'd decided to put it under a massive pile of papers.

Dr. Kleiner emerges from an examination room and waves goodbye to a patient. He mumbles happily to himself while filling out some forms in a manila folder, before placing them onto a big stack of similar folders.

"Ah, Brittany! So lovely to see you again."

Brittany smiles at him. Over his shoulder she catches a glimpse of Santana still desperately trying to find her phone, now digging into the drawers and garbage bins.

Daniel approaches and shakes Dr. Kleiner's hand. "Dr. Kleiner, it's good to see you again. I see that Rogaine coupon I gave you is being put to good use," he jokes.

"Ah, yes. Sadly I don't think that miracle product will work on this old head," he laughs, rubbing the top of his smooth head. "Don't worry, these last hairs I have at the sides will last me long enough. If you're ready, Brittany, we'll get the procedure started."

Brittany glances over at Santana, who was still, unbelievably, trying to find her phone. She nods reluctantly and Dr. Kleiner leads her father down the hall.

Brittany steps up to the counter and peers over it. Santana's feet poke out from under the desk as she scours the floor. She knocks on the counter loudly to get her attention.

It must've surprised her, because the desk shakes with a bang after Santana jumps from underneath. She crawls out, rubbing her head and wincing in pain.

"You have to go now, don't you?"

Brittany nods sadly.

"Sorry I can't find my phone. I guess I must have left it in my bag in my locker. I'll see you after your appointment?"

Brittany smiles, nodding her head vigorously and beckons Santana to lean over the counter. Santana wordlessly obeys. When she is close enough, Brittany kisses her on the cheek before giggling and skipping down the hall, leaving a blushing and smiling Santana.

A machine breathes loudly while another beeps rhythmically, spewing out jagged waves on a never ending stream of paper. Daniel sits on a stool, observing intently while Dr. Kleiner flashes Brittany a series of flashcards. Brittany watchs each card pass by, fidgeting with her hands. She scratchs at where the wires stick to her head, desperately wanting the test to be over.

A timer buzzes and the machine whirrs to a pause, processing the results with a gentler hum. Dr. Kleiner stacks the flash cards neatly and walks over to the machines, reviewing the data. Daniel stands and makes his way to Brittany to kiss the top of her head. He gently smoothes out her hair, careful not to dislodge any of the wires.

Dr. Kleiner clicks his tongue from behind the machine. "Brittany, you haven't been trying to say the words on the flashcard like I've asked you to. You're only thinking the words, it's not the same thing, my dear."

Brittany pouts and looks down at her hands. She really hates these tests.

"Doc, I think Brittany deserves a break," Daniel reasons. "Do you wanna go get some jello at the cafeteria, honey?" he asks.

Brittany nods slowly, pout still prominent.

"That won't be necessary, I'll have a nurse bring it for you," Dr. Kleiner explains as he rings up the front desk from the phone mounted on the wall. Daniel mouths apologies to his daughter. She sighs in defeat and picks at her fingernails. Daniel stills her hands with his own, rubbing them comfortingly.

The doctor hangs up and reminds Brittany that this test is to see if her brain is still incapable of producing speech. With Brittany not even trying to "speak", this whole test would be a big waste of time.

She worries her lip as he speaks, she feels like she is being punished. Brittany isn't very fond of hospitals after being in them many times in her life. Daniel knows this, and often tries to lessen the stress put on her by all of the different doctors. If he was going to be honest, Dr. Kleiner is the least troublesome of the doctors she had. At least he has a sense of humour...once in a while.

A knock at the door interrupts Dr. Kleiner's lecture on the importance of quality results. "Come in!", he announces.

Santana gently opens the door, just enough for herself to slide in, carrying a plate with an assortment of colourful jello desserts. Instantly, Brittany notices her and her pout turns into a huge grin. Santana mouths a "Hi" from the door.

"Dr. Kleiner, where do you want this?"

He sighs and adjusts his glasses, "Just bring them to the bedside table, we're taking a break from the procedure."

She brings the plate directly to Brittany who begins happily munching on the jello.

"The red ones are my favourite," Santana mentions. Brittany smiles and scoops up a block of red jello, holding it out for Santana.

Santana eyes Daniel, gauging his reaction on the simple gesture. He simply watches the two of them, with a smile on his face. When Santana doesn't move he motions her to go ahead.

She takes the whole spoon into her mouth and chews a few times before swallowing.

"Thank you."

Brittany smiles, _You're welcome._

"Hang on, what's this?!" Dr. Kleiner shouts from behind the machine. He holds the papers up to the light to get a better look, the machine still spewing the results of Brittany's brain activity.

"What is it, Doc?" Daniel asks nervously.

"It seems, Brittany's brain just performed the function necessary for speech."

Daniel and Santana exchange confused expressions. "But Britt didn't say anything," she points out.

"Precisely, but she tried to. Even though she isn't producing sound, her brain is still able to perform the actions necessary to form speech!"

The doctor's words meet once again with more confused silence.

"What I'm saying is, that Brittany tried to talk to you, Ms. Lopez, which she hasn't been able to demonstrate to anyone else, not even her family!"

Santana looks at Daniel, but he is still processing the doctor's words, squeezing Brittany's hand between his own.

"This is a quite an unusual discovery for her case, and if you would, I'd like you to be present for the rest of her tests, so we can observe how her brain functions towards you."

Santana didn't have to think hard about it, she'd love to spend more time with Brittany. "Well, if it's okay with Brittany..."

Brittany places her hand over Santana's and nods, pleading her to accept the offer.

"So, what do you need me to do, doctor?"


	3. 1st Movement

Santana eventually found her elusive cellphone before Brittany left the hospital. Daniel was hustling Brittany reminding her they had to pick up her little sister from ballet class. Brittany and Santana hurriedly exchanged numbers and Santana watched as they left the hospital.

Santana's first session with Brittany and Dr. Kleiner started next month, but that's all she knew about it. She wasn't filled in on any other details other than to wait for further instruction.

Santana was unsure of what to expect, making the days leading up to their appointment all the more stressful. The only thing keeping Santana powering through it are the conversations she has with Brittany over text.

"**I'm boooored.**"

_"Shouldn't you be working? :P"_

"**Yes, but that doesn't mean work isn't boring.**"

_"lol I wonder why they haven't fired you yet..."_

"**Because my dad is a big cheese in this place and he won't have that ;)**"

_":P right."_

Santana pauses, thumb tapping at her phone. She wants to know if Brittany is as nervous as she is about the case study, but she feels oddly anxious about asking her. She taps out the message while holding her breath and closes her eyes tightly as she hits send.

"**Are you nervous about our first session on Saturday?**"

She doesn't have to wait long before Brittany responds.

_"Nope :)"_

"**Haha, why not?**"

About two minutes pass before Brittany responds.

_"Cause, I've done plenty before, this one shouldn't be any different. Plus, you'll be with me, so how bad can it be? ;)"_

Santana smiles, wondering if Brittany took her time responding because she didn't want to reveal too much about her past, or that she was working up the courage to flirt with her. She clears her throat, reminding herself mentally that Brittany is not as lame as she is and responds to her text.

"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome. So you've done lots of these before?"

The phone at the desk rings just as she hits send. Grumbling, she picks it up and puts on the nice-nurse voice. At some point in the middle of the same old questions about visiting hours, her phone buzzes. Then it buzzes again...and again...and again. She holds the receiver up to her ear with her shoulder as she reaches for her phone to find four text notifications from Brittany. She scrolls to read the first one, noting that each text is pretty long, all the while ignoring the voice rambling on the corded phone.

_"Yeah, I've had tests done on me since I was a kid and they found out I couldn't speak. The first one was to see how deaf I was. Of course, now, they know I'm not deaf at all."_

_"After that was the standard blood tests and stuff. They checked all my senses too, to make sure I wasn't blind or something like that. Then I had some physiotherapy for a while to try and get my vocal chords to work. I also had routine visits to Dr. Kleiner to see how my brain was developing as I grew up."_

_"My physiotherapist was kind of mean, I guess he knew it was already a lost cause so he didn't see the point in continuing my care. He always sighed a lot during our appointments and kind of half-assed everything he did :S"_

_"Then, the day before our next session, he called us and said I didn't have to come and see him anymore. He didn't say why, but my dad said he sounded shaken up over the phone. Maybe he realized he was mean to me and decided I deserved better? Or maybe I just have psychic powers and he got the hint I really didn't like him :P"_

Santana stares at her phone blankly before rereading the last line again.

Psychic powers? She remembers having a dream where Brittany spoke to her. She heard Brittany's voice calling out to her before. Maybe she really was psychic?

At some point while she was reading Brittany's texts, the person on the other end had hung up, the disconnected ringtone blaring into her ear. She hangs up the receiver and leans back in her chair, thinking of how to mention her dream to Brittany.

"**Hahaha psychic powers? Funny, I had a dream where I heard your voice. There was nothing else, just pitch darkness, your voice and a spotlight.**"

As soon as she hits send, another nurse calls out to her. She has to go check on some patients in the ICU. Santana quickly pockets her phone and makes her way to the first patient's bed.

Her eyes quickly scan the screens as she skims the patient's folder. Vital signs are stable, IV bags are flowing at a steady rate, and the patient is sleeping soundly. She signs off on the clipboard and makes her way to the next bed as her pocket buzzes.

_"Oh really? Did I sound sexy? ;)"_

Santana stumbles to a halt, wondering how to respond to this.

"**Uhhh, I don't know? Your voice was really calming though, it made me feel warm all over.**"

As she resumes her patient patrol she notices this patient's urinary drainage bag is full. While she's changing it, she feels her phone vibrate twice.

_"Hahaha, that sounds so wrong!"_

_"I wish I could hear what you did, it sounds wonderful."_

She can't help but feel a pang of sadness while she pictures Brittany's pout as she sent that text.

"**It really was wonderful.**"

Brittany doesn't respond until Santana's back at the front desk, chewing on a pen and watching the clock. Santana's thoughts start racing. What if she said something wrong? What if she made Brittany upset about her condition and she didn't want to see her again?

She checks her phone for the fiftieth time in the last twenty minutes. Still no answer...

Until her phone vibrates with a new text and Santana flinches so hard her phone launches up into the air. She fumbles to catch it and takes a few calming breaths before willing herself to read the text.

_"Well, I hate to break it to you, that probably wasn't my voice you heard :P"_

Santana frowns. She feels terrible for mentioning the dream to her. Before Santana even begins to feel around for a response her phone lights up again.

_"I have to go now, Ashley's dance recital. I'll see you on Saturday! xx :)"_

She presses her lips together before letting out a sigh. She's out of the woods for now, but she feels the need to come up with a proper apology for Saturday.

Santana looks at the clock again, only two minutes have passed since she last checked and she still has two more hours to her shift.

It was going to be a long night.


	4. Nocturne

Santana fiddles with her necklace, her leg bouncing as she waits for Brittany to arrive at the hospital. Dr. Kleiner is humming to himself behind the computer, flipping through a science journal. A knock at the door sends Santana springing from her seat to open it. She lets Brittany in with a soft "Hello" and finds herself being led by the hand to a corner of a room.

"What's up? Is everything okay?"

Brittany nods, pulling out her phone and typing out a message. She hands it over to Santana to read.

"Your dad isn't coming, because he has to take your mom to the airport?" she reads aloud.

Brittany can see that Santana is starting to panic and quickly takes her hands into her own.

_It'll be okay, don't worry._

Despite her efforts, Santana still panics a bit. "How can he miss something like this? What if something happens during the session and I don't know what to do?"

She takes a few slow, calming breaths before handing Brittany her cell phone. Brittany takes a moment to think and then types out a message, handing it to her with a smirk.

"Don't worry, you're really smart..." Santana trails off as she reads the rest. She playfully slaps Brittany's shoulder. "It _wouldn't_ be awesome if I gave you CPR!"

Dr. Kleiner clears his throat which makes Brittany stop laughing while Santana stares at the ground with a furious blush. "Sorry to interrupt, but I think it's in your best interests to start as soon as possible?" He gestures over to the table with two chairs facing each other and the girls take their seats. "Today, we're going to start with some basic brain function readings, just to see how Brittany's brain reacts towards you. I'm going to ask you to talk about various things while I record her brain function on the computer. All you have to do, Ms. Lopez, is to keep the conversation going with simple sentences."

Santana wrings her fingers on the table. She knows the procedure sounds simple, but her anxiety seems to get the best of her when it comes to Brittany. Brittany separates Santana's worrying hands, rubbing her thumbs over her fingers reassuringly as Dr. Kleiner outfits her head with various wires.

"Alright!" he says, clapping his hands together. Santana flinches, just a little. "Let's get started then. Remember, Santana, try to make the conversation simple so that Brittany can answer with only a few words."

Santana nods and Brittany just continues rubbing her fingers in comfort. Santana takes a deep breath, holds it for a moment and lets it out. This is ridiculous, it's just a simple conversation with Brittany, why should this be so difficult?

"So..." Santana begins. "You look really pretty."

Brittany bows her head, hiding her blush. _"Thank you," _she mouths. Brittany reaches over to twirl a lock of Santana's hair before releasing it. She looks up at her, bashfully.

_You look pretty, too._

Santana chuckles. "Yeah, it's been a while since you've seen me out of my nurse's uniform, huh? I look pretty smoking in my street clothes don't I?"

Brittany laughs and nods. She licks her finger and pokes Santana's arm, making a sizzling sound effect as she does it.

_Definitely super smoking._

Santana scoffs, rolling her eyes at the gesture. She just can't with this girl.

"You're a big dork."

Brittany just sticks her tongue out at her.

Santana smiles, looking down at their hands, before suddenly looking serious. "Britt," she starts, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry I mentioned that dream to you." She squeezes her hands, emphasizing her apology. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad about not being able to speak."

Brittany shakes her head, placing her hand over hers.

"So, you're not mad at me?" Santana whispers.

Brittany looks hurt that Santana would think so and shakes her head again, giving a pat to the back of Santana's hand.

_I'm not mad at you._

Santana breathes a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're not mad. I was so worried that I ruined everything when I told you about the dream."

Brittany presses her lips together and just looks at her. She's too busy tracing the lines of Brittany's fingers with her own to be looking back at her. Brittany brings Santana's hand up to her lips, drawing her attention, before kissing her knuckles.

_We're okay._

They share a smile.

"Well," Santana begins. "You know, you're more than welcome to share any dreams you've had about me. Y'know to make it even." Brittany removes her hands and shoves them into her lap, wiggling in her seat a little.

Santana's jaw drops and her eyebrows shoot up in realization. "You've had dreams about me!"

Brittany looks down at her lap, hiding her face with her hair. Santana crosses her arms, determined to squeeze some answers out of her. "You've had dreams about me and you didn't tell me."

When Brittany doesn't respond, Santana realizes she'll have to be a bit more cunning to get a reaction out of her. There's a moment of silence, as Santana sits there, silently plotting, with Brittany still fidgeting, her cheeks still pink with embarrassment. Then, Santana leans forward on the desk, making Brittany shrink even more into her chair.

"Were they naughty dreams?" Santana whispers.

Brittany's head jerks up, but her eyes dart away quickly when she notices Santana's breasts almost spilling out of her top. Santana's doing this on purpose. She coughs and squeezes her eyes closed, willing the unforgettable sight to go away.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Santana leans back in her chair, recrossing her arms with a smug look on her face.

Brittany takes this moment to answer. She holds up one finger for Santana.

"One?"

Brittany nods.

_One dream._

"You've had one dream about me?"

Brittany nods, folding her hands on the table. Santana uncrosses her legs and shifts her chair forward, matching Brittany's form exactly.

"What was it about?" she challenges.

Brittany bites her lip and looks nervously around the room. She's contemplating not telling her about the one dream. She decides to go for it and hopes she won't regret it, taking Santana's left hand into her own. She taps the ring finger on Santana's hand before tapping her own ring finger on her left.

Brittany studies her, watching her expression change from smiling to pensive. Santana wets her lips and utters a quiet, "We were married...in your dream?"

Brittany worries her bottom lip.

_Is that okay?_

Santana glances over at Dr. Kleiner who isn't looking, but will probably notice if she decides to stand up. She wants to kiss Brittany, but she settles for what she can do, right now. She beckons Brittany to lean closer and she obeys, their fingers now entwined between them.

Santana brings two of her own fingers to her own lips, placing a kiss on them before pressing them to Brittany's. A silent kiss of acceptance.

"I didn't want him to see," Santana whispers.

Brittany nods in understanding.

"Alright, that should be enough for now," Dr. Kleiner pipes up. He makes his way over to the table which is now empty of any folded hands and silent kisses. "Why don't we take a break?"

Brittany stands and Santana helps her take off the gelled pads of the wires. Brittany gestures that she's going to the bathroom. She makes her way to the door, but Santana holds her back. Santana checks to make sure Dr. Kleiner is occupied. When she sees him perusing their results she gives Brittany a firm kiss to her lips.

"Thanks for sharing your dream with me," Santana whispers.

Brittany smiles as tears start to form in her eyes. She pulls Santana into an embrace, hoping to convey as much of her feelings as she can. Santana squeezes her tightly, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"Hey, hey...we're okay, remember?"

Brittany releases her with a chuckle, wiping at her eyes. Santana brushes a lock of golden hair away from her face and pats her shoulder.

"Now go to the bathroom you big goober."

Brittany laughs and exits the room. Santana shuts the door behind her and walks over to Dr. Kleiner's desk.

"So, how'd we do, doctor?"

He stares at the screen before nodding firmly. "You did great, Ms. Lopez." He turns to her, "The real purpose of this test was to record Brittany's brain function as she displayed different emotions through her conversation with you. In the short time you've talked to her, she displayed nearly every basic emotion there is. Well, except anger. Not once did the machine detect any anger."

Santana sighed internally. It was good to have confirmation that Brittany wasn't ever mad at her.

"However," he continued. "There were some erratic readings throughout the entire conversation that I have never seen before in all my years as a neurologist."

Santana studied the monitor. Despite her efforts, she couldn't make any sense of the data that was displayed. "What does it mean, doctor?"

"It means… that Brittany's brain seems to be capable of much higher function."

"Like, she's a genius or something?"

He gave the monitor another once-over before turning his attention back to Santana.

"No. It means...Brittany is capable of things that no human can do."


	5. Crescendo

"Something's wrong with you," Rachel states. Santana stops filing her nails and looks at her. Rachel eyes her carefully with her hands at her hips, half naked, in the changing room. "I've been changing in front of you for two whole minutes and you haven't made one quip about my lack of breasts."

Santana frowns and leans more heavily against the lockers. "Okay, first of all, don't flatter yourself. I've never said anything about your teenage ant hills."

Rachel huffs, removing her pleated skirt and folding it neatly into her locker.

"Second of all, what do you mean something's wrong with me? I'm fine."

Rachel continues to change in silence, taking off her flats and placing them at the bottom of her locker.

"Why can't you change like a normal person? Do us all a favour. Put on your new clothes as you take your old ones off instead of getting down to your granny panties and then putting them on."

Rachel ignores her, shaking out her nurse's shirt before slipping it on. "Okay, maybe I'm wrong, you're as snippy as ever, but still weirdly unobservant. You haven't made a single comment about my haircut."

Santana looks up from her nails and examines Rachel's new do. "I don't see a difference."

Rachel sighs and admires her reflection in the small mirror on the inside of her locker. "I have bangs now, Santana. Don't you think they give my face a nice shape?"

"Well at least something on your body has a nice shape," Santana mutters.

Rachel ignores her again and finishes changing in silence. When she walks out of the changing room, Santana follows her.

"I'm just saying, for a while now, you've been acting weirdly…chipper."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, but it's just unusual is all I'm saying. This wouldn't have anything to do with your relationship with Brittany would it?"

"And if it does?"

"Ah, so you two are doing well?"

Santana can't stop her smirk from growing into a full smile at the mention of Brittany. "Yes, we have our next research session this weekend."

Rachel stops walking, confused, then quickly hurries after her. "Wait, already? You already had one last week!"

"Yeah, I know, but Dr. Kleiner called her and said to come in this weekend because he's consulting with another doctor and he wants to sit in on a session as soon as possible."

Rachel struggles to keep up with Santana's quick strides. "That doesn't sound good, did anything happen during your first session?"

"No, not really. Dr. Kleiner thinks Brittany is some kind of genius prodigy or something."

"Really? Brittany?"

Santana whips around at Rachel's question. "What, do you think she's not smart?"

"N-No!" Rachel stutters. "I-I just didn't think she'd be so intellectual. Considering she doesn't speak, it's quite surprising."

Santana looks up and sighs, "Yeah, she is something."

Rachel grins. "Somebody's smitten."

Instantly, Santana's scowl returns. "Shut up. Nobody's anything." Santana makes her way to the reception desk and begins rifling through folders.

"You know, your denial only makes it more true."

She ignores her, flipping through folder after folder, as if it will cool her slowly heating face. Thankfully, Rachel doesn't notice as she takes her seat at the desk and signs into the computer.

From across the room, Dr. Kleiner calls for Santana. Rachel turns around and exchanges looks with a confused Santana as she makes her way over to Dr. Kleiner, who's standing with a shorter, grey-haired man in a lab coat.

"Hello, Ms. Lopez. This is Dr. Lichen, he'll be consulting with me on Brittany's case study."

She shakes his hand. "Pleasure to work with you, sir."

"Now, Ms. Lopez," Dr. Lichen begins. "I understand you weren't able to make Brittany angry during your first session."

Santana furrows her brows, "Why would I want to make her angry?"

"We don't know what she's capable of, yet. For all we know she might not even be able to even become angry."

Santana looks at Dr. Kleiner, wondering if he's hearing the same thing she is. His face is unreadable.

"For our session this weekend, I want you to try and make Ms. Pierce angry," continues Dr. Lichen.

"I don't have to do that to know she can get angry," Santana scoffs. "She told me she was mad at one of her old sleazy doctors when she was younger."

"Do you have proof?" Dr. Lichen raises an eyebrow at her.

"I…have texts of her telling me, if that's what you want."

"Ah, but I don't suppose you have any EEGs or other statistical data on that smartie phone of yours."

Santana stares at him, incredulously. "N-no, but-"

"Then you can't base such information on simple small talk."

Santana glares at him, though she knows he has a point.

He pulls out a bundle of cue cards from his lab coat pocket and hands them to her. "Read these. I want you to use them on Brittany during our next session. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lopez and I trust you will not disappoint in your performance on Saturday."

She looks at the cue cards and then at Dr. Kleiner. He gives her a sympathetic smile, guiding Dr. Lichen towards the cafeteria.

Rachel appears beside her. "What did he want?"

"He wants me to make Brittany angry with some conversation starters he gave me." She pockets the offending cue cards and stomps over to the reception desk.

"Are you gonna do it?"

Santana pauses to think. "If it would help them find out more about Brittany, yes." She returns to her stacking of patient folders, her scowl more prominent than ever.

"But you don't want Brittany to be mad at you."

Santana slams a folder down. "No! Of course not!" She picks up the stack of folders and moves around a spooked Rachel to the other end of the counter. "I can't tell her I'm trying to get her angry, it might mess up the data somehow if she knows beforehand."

Rachel swallows, unsure of how to advise her. "Just do your best and if she does get angry at you, tell her after the session. I'm sure she'll forgive you once she understands what's going on."

Santana pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. "Would you? Would you forgive me if I purposely irritated you to your boiling point?"

"Don't you do that already, Santana?" Rachel chuckles.

Santana laughs, "Yeah, I suppose you're the wrong person to ask."

Rachel places her hand on Santana's arm. "I'm sure everything will work out. Just be honest with Brittany."

Santana gives her a nod and they return to their work.

"Thanks. Y'know, for giving me advice and everything," Santana says, not looking up from her arrangement of folders.

Rachel studies her, tapping a pen against her lips. "I think I liked you better before. Nice isn't a good look on you."

Santana launches a notepad at Rachel and clocks her right in the nose.

"I take back everything nice I've ever said about you!" Rachel shouts, shielding her bruising nose.

—-

Brittany and Santana's second session starts smoothly. They sit there and talk about nothing in particular for about fifteen minutes before Dr. Lichen mutters something about sticking to the schedule and wasting valuable time. Dr. Kleiner waves him off, reminding him of the practical uses of recollecting data for statistical analysis in the future.

Eventually, Dr. Lichen can't sit and listen to their lighthearted conversation anymore and marches over to the table, interrupting their discussion of bubble wrap vs. real bubbles.

"Ms. Lopez, where are the cue cards I gave you?"

Santana blinks at him. "I don't know what you're talking about. What cue cards?"

Dr. Lichen inhales deeply. "The cue cards, like we discussed? I gave them to you a few days ago."

Santana exchanges looks with a confused Brittany and a curious Dr. Kleiner. "I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"Ms. Lopez, you're deliberately disobeying my orders and ruining my research!"

He stomps his foot angrily causing Brittany to gasp in surprise. Santana is quick to give a comforting pat to her hand before shooting Dr. Lichen a glare.

"There's no need to yell, doctor."

"You are compromising our research before it's even past its preliminary stages," he growls. "You should learn to do as you're told, Ms. Lopez."

Santana stands, meeting his angry look with her own piercing glare. "First of all, Hot-head Moss-man, you can't talk to me like that." He throws his hands up in the air in disbelief. She follows him as he walks back to the computer desk. "Hey, I'm not finished yet!" Santana shouts.

Dr. Lichen scoffs, taking his seat. "Well, I'm quite done with you, Ms. Lopez." Brittany clenches her fists, her eyes focused on the two of them. Dr. Kleiner rolls his chair slowly, backing away against the wall.

"I'll make sure to talk to the director and have you fired," Dr. Lichen mutters.

"What?! You can't get me fired because of this!"

He stands up abruptly, knocking his chair to the ground. "Can't I?! A nurse who can't follow simple orders has no place in this hospital!"

Brittany starts to panic from her seat. Dr. Kleiner doesn't seem to want to intervene from the way he's cowering in the corner.

"You're nothing more than a privileged daughter of a doctor." He prods her shoulder. "You didn't earn this job, you don't deserve it."

Santana's jaw falls open in shock. "Are you actually saying these words right now? You're lucky I haven't charged you with assault yet."

"That's enough!" He shouts.

Suddenly, a burst of air blows throughout the room. A high pitched ringing sound resonates in the air. Dr. Lichen keels over to the ground, pressing his hands to his ears, desperately trying to block the sound. Santana looks up to find Brittany standing…no, floating in mid-air. Her hair defies gravity as it gently dances as if blown by an invisible air current.

Brittany raises her hand and Dr. Lichen cries out in pain. Santana scrambles to her feet and rushes to Brittany's side.

"Brittany! Stop!" she yells.

Dr. Kleiner finally moves to help Dr. Lichen who is still writhing in pain. Brittany isn't listening, however, and her eyes are a glassy blue as she continues to float, as if possessed.

"Brittany, listen to me! You're hurting Dr. Lichen!"

Instantly, Brittany's eyes uncloud as gravity pulls her back down. Santana stumbles to catch her, falling to her knees as Dr. Lichen's pained groans subside.

Brittany breathes heavily, her eyes flickering between Santana and Dr. Lichen. Santana cups her face, trying to focus her attention, but Brittany seems too frightened. She pushes Santana's hands away and jumps to her feet. Brittany is out the door before Santana can stop her.


	6. Decrescendo

Dr. Kleiner doesn't have to excuse Santana from Dr. Lichen's side. She's out the door and chasing Brittany before it even has time to click shut. She sees Brittany slip between two nurses into the change room. Santana pushes past the now-annoyed nurses, rushing after Brittany until she's face-to-face with the locked door of a handicap stall.

"Brittany," she pants, out of breath. "Open the door."

Santana's request is met with obvious silence. She presses her forehead against the door and leans into it.

"I just want to make sure you're okay."

When she doesn't hear anything she considers crawling through the space under the door or climbing over the wall, but then she hears it. A sniffle.

"Brittany," she tries again. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but you have to let me in."

Her pleas are met with more sniffs and laboured breathing. Santana decides she can't take the sounds anymore and crouches to the ground, wriggling herself through the space between the bottom of the door and the floor.

Brittany is crouched in the corner of the stall, hugging and crying into her knees. When Santana kneels next to her, she hugs herself tighter, hiding her face. Santana frowns, unsure of what to do. She settles for wrapping Brittany in her arms and cradling her as she cries. Brittany turns her head to cry into Santana's shoulder, her hands gripping her back for strength. They stay that way for a few minutes, Santana gently stroking Brittany's hair and rocking her as her sobs subside.

Santana releases her to look at her face. The area around her eyes is red from crying, but her eyes themselves are still their striking blue, with one exception. As Santana examines her eyes, she notices that her irises have swirling wisps of grey amidst the light blue of her eyes, shimmering in the light as if smoke were trapped inside.

Finally, Santana speaks. "They're going to be looking for you."

Brittany shakes her head vigorously, more tears forming in her eyes.

Santana's eyes dart back and forth as she devises a way to hide Brittany from Dr. Lichen. She puts her hands on Brittany's shoulders, steadying her. "Do you want to go home? You can't stay here."

Brittany thinks about it, before nodding slowly.

"Okay, I'll take you home. Did you leave anything in the examination room?"

She shakes her head.

"Wait for me in the parking lot. I'll go sign us out and then I'm taking you home, okay?"

Brittany nods, tugging at Santana's shirt into another hug. Santana squeezes her tightly and rubs soothingly up and down her back. When they part, Santana places a kiss on her forehead and helps Brittany to her feet.

They exit the change room together and part ways shortly after. Santana watches their surroundings cautiously as Brittany makes her way out the hospital doors. No one seems to be in any state of panic or looking for either of them.

Quickly, Santana walks to the reception desk and begins signing herself and Brittany out of the log book. She keeps her head down as she notes the time, marking it down. Not too far away, she overhears one of the nurses briefing an ER doctor on a patient.

"He's unconscious and seems to be suffering some sort of trauma, nothing physical that we can see."

Santana sneaks a glance at the two while she continues to eavesdrop.

"This is Dr. Lichen!" The doctor says, reading the patient file.

"Yes," the nurse confirms. "He inexplicably fainted during a research session and hasn't regained consciousness since."

The two of them walk to the ER ward and open the curtains to reveal Dr. Lichen, lying completely still, his face contorting in pain.

"It's almost like he's having a nightmare," says the doctor.

Santana scribbles out their signatures and exits through the front doors. She finds Brittany standing behind the wall just outside the hospital. Santana escorts Brittany to her car, letting her into the passenger side before getting in herself.

As soon as Santana starts the car, Brittany scoops up one of her hands and pulls it to her lap. She drives the entire time this way, with Brittany busying herself by playing with Santana's fingers and giving occasional directions to her. Soon enough, they're pulling up to Brittany's driveway. Santana gets up to open her own door, but Brittany keeps her hand in her lap, pulling Santana back into her seat.

Santana looks at her, Brittany's eyes are pleading.

"Do you want me to come in with you?"

Brittany nods and lets go of Santana's hand. Santana rounds the car and opens the door for Brittany. They both make their way up the steps and ring the doorbell. Brittany's mom answers it.

"Brittany? I thought you were supposed to be at your session until 3?" She eyes them curiously.

Brittany and Santana look at each other before Santana realizes she has to explain why they're already home.

"Oh, one of Brittany's doctors fainted during the session for some reason, so I just decided to take Brittany home."

It wasn't a complete lie. Her parents wouldn't know the truth without being there, anyway. Mrs. Pierce seems to buy the excuse and lets them in without another word. They make it to the kitchen before Mrs. Pierce tells Brittany to go wash up, leaving her and Santana alone.

"Santana, could you go into the fridge and get the milk out?"

Santana hesitates and opens the fridge, pulling out the jug of milk from the shelf before closing it. Mrs. Pierce takes out two glasses from the cupboard and places them next to a plate of cookies on the kitchen counter. She takes the jug from Santana and pours a generous amount of milk into each glass.

"Brittany always has milk and cookies after coming back from the doctor's, so I thought you'd like to join her," explains Mrs. Pierce.

Santana goes wide-eyed in anxiety for a moment before mumbling a thank you and giving her a hopefully kind smile. She sits down on one of the stools at the counter as Brittany comes down the stairs, face freshly washed and now changed into more comfortable clothes.

Mrs. Pierce excuses herself to start a load of laundry. If she suspects anything is wrong, she doesn't let on. Brittany plops herself down next to Santana and helps herself to an oatmeal cookie. Santana sits there quietly, nursing her glass of milk.

Neither of them say anything for a while until Brittany finishes her cookie and places her hand on Santana's knee, squeezing it to get her attention. She puts her glass down and turns to face Brittany.

"Are you ready to talk about it?"

Brittany looks down for a moment, then shakes her head.

"Not right now, or never?"

Brittany points down with one finger, nodding her head in the direction her mother disappeared in.

"Okay, we'll talk about it when we're alone and you're ready?"

Brittany nods, pulling Santana's hand to her lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. Santana smiles, reaching around her for a chocolate chip cookie. She takes a bite out of it and catches Brittany eyeing the cookie in her hand… or her lips, she's not really sure. Santana offers her the half-eaten cookie and Brittany just chuckles. She takes it anyway, managing to sneak a bite before the front door opens, and Daniel trods in.

"I'm home!" He announces. "Whose car is in the- Oh, Santana!"

He drops his jacket on an empty stool and gives her a hug. She half hugs him, cookie in hand.

"You girls are home early," says Daniel, hanging up his jacket in the hall closet.

"Uh, yeah. One of Brittany's doctors fainted during the session, so we thought it'd be best if we just went home."

He pauses mid-stride to the kitchen. "Fainted? Was it Dr. Kleiner?"

"No, it was a consult doctor, Dr. Lichen."

He nods, rubbing his jaw in thought. "Did they find out why he fainted?"

Santana shakes her head.

Daniel nods and purses his lips. "I guess that's good for you, eh, kiddo? More free time on the weekends?"

Brittany forces a smile and Santana mimics her. Daniel picks up a cookie and leaves to find his wife. Santana breathes a sigh of relief and finishes her cookie, licking off the melted chocolate on her fingertips. She just starts another cookie when they both overhear Daniel answering his cell phone in the stairwell.

They hear footsteps approaching the kitchen and soon enough, Daniel is handing Santana his cell phone, telling her it's Dr. Kleiner on the other end. She nearly chokes, and gives her cookie to Brittany. Santana downs the rest of her milk before wiping her hands on her jeans, taking the phone from Daniel and answering it.

"Hello, Dr. Kleiner?"

"Ms. Lopez?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Ah, good. I was trying to reach you. I tried calling your cell phone from your contact information at work, but you weren't answering it."

Santana pats down her jeans pockets and figures she must have left it in the car, worrying too much about Brittany to notice.

"Is everything okay? How's Dr. Lichen?"

Dr. Kleiner lets out a sigh and Santana hears him flipping through some papers. "He's alright, but he isn't awake yet. There's something I need to tell you, Ms. Lopez, and you must listen carefully."

Santana looks to Brittany, gesturing that she'll be right back, and Brittany distracts Daniel by offering him another cookie. When Santana's out of earshot, she tells Dr. Kleiner to continue.

"The only people that know what happened to Dr. Lichen are the three of us. I haven't told anyone about the incident, and I don't plan to. I trust you haven't told anyone about it either?"

Santana swallows. "No, I haven't. Brittany certainly isn't going to either."

"That's good. Now what happened in that room cannot be known to anyone, but it's important that I still continue Brittany's case study. It will have to be done at a more secure location, my own laboratory. I'll give you the details later, but I want you to discuss this with Brittany and make sure she understands that the research must continue for her sake."

She bites her lip, unsure of what to say at the sudden change of events. "Okay, I'll talk to her about it."

He reminds her again not to mention it to anyone and hangs up. Santana ends the call and walks briskly to the kitchen. She gives Daniel back his cell phone and makes up an excuse to leave, shooting Brittany an apologetic look.

Daniel rounds the counter as Santana makes her way out "Do you want to stay for dinner? I figured it'd be a nice way of showing our gratitude for helping our daughter."

"N-no, I wouldn't want to intrude on your family, but maybe some other time?" Santana suggests, nervously.

"I'll hold you to it," Daniel jokes, opening the door for her.

She says her goodbyes, making sure to gesture to Brittany that she'll call her later and leaves the front steps of the Pierce household. When she's in her car she finds her phone on the center console.

7 missed calls.

Whatever Dr. Kleiner has in mind for these future sessions, it's important.


End file.
